A team from the Cyber School – Mastercard Foundation Uganda eLearning Initiative, on Thursday 23rd January 2025, visited Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) to discuss the ongoing partnership and MUST’s involvement in the Cyber School – Mastercard Foundation Uganda eLearning Initiative.
During the meeting, discussions were held on enhancing the university’s capacity in e-learning, inclusivity of disadvantaged students, student work-readiness, entrepreneurship and safeguarding.
Participants
MUST Representatives: Prof. Pauline Byakika-Kibwika -Vice chancellor; Prof. Nixon Kamukama – Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs; Mr. Amos Baryashaba- Principal IT Officer; Mr. Timothy Mugumya (Esq)- Senior Legal Officer; Dr. Medard Twinanamatsiko- Director, Centre for Innovation & Technology Transfer and Ms. Angella Nakato Muyingo- Communications officer in-charge of Public Relations.
The Cyber School – Mastercard Foundation Uganda eLearning Initiative Team was led by Mr. John Mukiibi- Katende – Project Manager and comprised Charity Namara – Project Coordinator, Partnerships & Collaboration; Ms. Kayla Lubega- Affordable Internet & Devices Officer; Mr. Evan Guma- Instructional Design & Content Officer and Mr. Michael Candiga- LMS & Technical Support Officer.
Overview of Achievements
Mr. Amos Baryashaba presented an overview of initiatives undertaken by the initiative at MUST, including;
- Enhancement of the University’s Learning Management System
- Training & Capacity building in Digital Pedagogy, Instructional Design and Content Development
- Provision of a state-of-the-art Digital Learning Studio
- Eduroam WiFi Access Network
- eLearning content in Entrepreneurship, Work readiness, Sign Language Interpretation and Safeguarding
- Provision of Assistive Computing Devices for Persons With Disability at MUST
Remarks from Cyber School – Mastercard Foundation Uganda eLearning Initiative
Mr. John Mukiibi Katende expressed gratitude to the Vice Chancellor for her time and congratulated her on her recent appointment.
He emphasized the importance of adapting to the post-COVID-19 landscape, noting that the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has set standards for universities to continuously offer learning online.
He further highlighted Cyber School – Mastercard Foundation Uganda eLearning Initiative’s commitment to providing life skills through additional short courses, aimed at equipping students with 21st-century skills.
Community Engagement
Mr. Katende requested the University to support student participation in the government’s Parish Development Model (PDM) project, and act as the change agents in the community surrounding the university.
Affordable Devices Initiative
A draft proposal for the provision of affordable laptops to students and staff was also tabled, in which basic learning computing devices could be provided within a price range of between UGX 800,000 and UGX 1,000,000, with options for initial deposit and monthly installment payments.
Vice Chancellor’s Response
Prof. Byakika thanked Cyber School Technology Solutions for their support and welcomed the proposal for affordable devices. She emphasized the importance of ensuring quality of the computers as a means of attracting students to the offer. She promised that the offer would be considered by the University Management.
Prof. Byakika also recommended that some of activities of the Mastercard Foundation- Cyber School Technology Solutions eLearning be aligned with the operations of the university’s Centre for Innovation & Technology Transfer (CITT) and the recently incorporated MUST Holdings Company.
Conclusion
The visit further cemented the partnership between Cyber School Technology Solutions and MUST, emphasizing the joint commitment to enhancing eLearning, supporting students and staff, and promoting technological advancement in the digital age.
The discussions laid the groundwork for future collaborations and initiatives aimed at improving educational outcomes at MUST.
